Itinerary:
ü You can fly
with Vietnam
Airlines from
Hanoi or HCMC
to Vientian then
take a night bus
from Vientian
to Paksä (about
10 hours). From
there, take a bus
to Ban Nakasang
(2,5 hours) and
then at the wharf
of Ban Nakasang,
travel by boat to
Don Khone.
Activities:
ü Do not miss
the chance to
see Irrawaddy
The island boasts its
most glamorous beauty at
sunset. Not only me but
also other foreign visitors are
enchanted by this “specialty”.
Immersing in the scent of
cocktail Lao Lao (a cocktail
mixed with rice wine), everyone
is deep in their own thoughts,
looking at fishing boats or over
the Mekong River bank, where
women start collecting their
blankets dried on fences and
lighting up their house. Another
day just simply passed.
The people of Laos are extremely
cute. A tourism guide notes
that if someday you are lost in a
belvedere in a strange field, feel
free to cook and enjoy your meal
with the available rice, spices,
cooking pots, bowls and stove.
You can even harvest and take
some cassava and sweet potatoes.
The only thing you need to do
is leave a message to inform the
belvedere’s owners. Helping
128
TRAVELLIVE
someone brings them happiness.
Don Khone is so picturesque that
everything is real yet dreamy.
Whether you’re “unplugged”
or not, there is no place for any
daily worries and stress. It is
only the place of you and your
moments of leisure.
LISTEN TO BUENA VISTA
SOCIAL CLUB AT THE
END OF THE WORLD
What makes me like most in
Don Khone is the feeling that
I’m at the end of world. But
the reality is far different, no
place could be more suitable
to listen to Buena Vista Social
Club like Don Khone. No matter
where Julie and I eat diner, we
end our day with cocktails at
Sala Phae Restaurant which
features amazing dancing music
everynight. Buena Vista Social
Club is not a band. It is the
dolphins when
visiting Don
Khone. This kind
of dolphin is
named after the
river in Myanmar
that they
originated from.
They are only
found in three
places in the
world and are at
risk of extinction.
If you wonder
how the Mekong
River gets
angry, then visit
Khone (Khone
Phapheng), the
largest waterfall
in Southeast Asia.
name of a famous dance club
in the heart of Havana, Cuba
in the 1940s. After 50 years
of sleeping, this club was only
awakened by the accidental
encounter with a famous
American guitarist, Ry Cooder.
The beauty of Buena Vista
Social Club’s music impresses
listeners with its faithfulness
and symbolism. And Don
Khone touches my soul with its
tranquility and unique beauty.
The land embraces me, allows me
back to my childhood, helps me to
understand myself now and urges
me to refill the energy I need.
I live my days at a slow, leisurely
pace on Don Khone as I know
that just a boat trip and a couple
of hours driving, will bring me
back to my busy life. The world
will back to the last days of 2015
and my home is messy after
the days without control, even
remotely.